Facilitating user communication about a common topic

Abstract

Among other things, we describe identifying, in first data available to a first user and not available to a second user, and in second data available to the second user not available to the first user, data pertaining to a common topic, and enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic based on the identification.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 identifying, in first data available to a first user and not available to a second user, and in second data available to the second user and not available to the first user, data pertaining to a common topic; 
 determining, based on the identification, whether the first user and the second user communicate about the common topic; 
 determining that the first user and the second user do not communicate about the common topic and do communicate about another topic different than the common topic; 
 sending, based on the identification, a communication to the first user that a) indicates that particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic is accessible upon request and b) identifies the common topic; 
 receiving, from the first user and in response to the communication, a request to access the particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic; and 
 enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic based on the identification and based on determining that the first user and the second user do not communicate about the common topic. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises:
 sending a first communication to the first user that indicates that other users are interested in a common topic. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises:
 sending a first communication to the first user that identifies the common topic and indicates that other users are interested in the common topic. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises:
 sending a second communication to the second user that identifies the common topic and indicates that other users are interested in the common topic. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3  in which the indication that other users are interested in the common topic comprises an identification of the second user. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 3  comprising receiving, based on sending the first communication, a response from the first user that indicates that the first user would like to collaborate with the second user. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6  comprising introducing the first user and the second user. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7  in which introducing the first user and the second user is based on receiving the response from the first user. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7  comprising sending the first communication to the second user and in which the first communication introduces the first user and the second user. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  in which the first data is not available to the second user based on a permission setting associated with the first data. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  in which the permission setting is established by the first user. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1  comprising enabling, based on the identification, the first user to make at least some of the first data available to the second user. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1  comprising sending, based on the identification, a request to the first user to make at least some of the first data available to the second user. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises providing, based on receiving the request to access the particular data not available to the first user, the first user access to at least some of the particular data that was previously not available to the first user. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1  comprising:
 receiving data from users, in which the data includes user data for each of the users and includes the first data and the second data, and the users include the first user and the second user; and 
 analyzing the user data for each of the users to determine one or more topics associated with the user data;
 in which the identification is based on the analysis. 
 
 
     
     
       16. A computer readable storage device storing a computer program product comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer system to carry out operations comprising:
 identifying, in first data available to a first user and not available to a second user, and in second data available to the second user and not available to the first user, data pertaining to a common topic; 
 determining, based on the identification, whether the first user and the second user communicate about the common topic; 
 determining that the first user and the second user do not communicate about the common topic and do communicate about another topic different than the common topic; 
 sending, based on the identification, a communication to the first user that a) indicates that particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic is accessible upon request and b) identifies the common topic; 
 receiving, from the first user and in response to the communication, a request to access the particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic; and 
 enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic based on the identification and based on determining that the first user and the second user do not communicate about the common topic. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer readable storage device of  claim 16  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises:
 sending a first communication to the first user that indicates that other users are interested in a common topic. 
 
     
     
       18. The computer readable storage device of  claim 16  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises:
 sending a first communication to the first user that identifies the common topic and indicates that other users are interested in the common topic. 
 
     
     
       19. The computer readable storage device of  claim 18  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises:
 sending a second communication to the second user that identifies the common topic and indicates that other users are interested in the common topic. 
 
     
     
       20. The computer readable storage device of  claim 18  in which the indication that other users are interested in the common topic comprises an identification of the second user. 
     
     
       21. The computer readable storage device of  claim 18 , the operations comprising receiving, based on sending the first communication, a response from the first user that indicates that the first user would like to collaborate with the second user. 
     
     
       22. The computer readable storage device of  claim 21 , the operations comprising introducing the first user and the second user. 
     
     
       23. The computer readable storage device of  claim 22  in which introducing the first user and the second user is based on receiving the response from the first user. 
     
     
       24. The computer readable storage device of  claim 22 , the operations comprising sending the first communication to the second user and in which the first communication introduces the first user and the second user. 
     
     
       25. The computer readable storage device of  claim 16  in which the first data is not available to the second user based on a permission setting associated with the first data. 
     
     
       26. The computer readable storage device of  claim 25  in which the permission setting is established by the first user. 
     
     
       27. The computer readable storage device of  claim 16 , the operations comprising enabling, based on the identification, the first user to make at least some of the first data available to the second user. 
     
     
       28. The computer readable storage device of  claim 16 , the operations comprising sending, based on the identification, a request to the first user to make at least some of the first data available to the second user. 
     
     
       29. The computer readable storage device of  claim 16  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises providing, based on receiving the request to access the particular data not available to the first user, the first user access to at least some of the particular data that was previously not available to the first user. 
     
     
       30. The computer readable storage device of  claim 16 , the operations comprising:
 receiving data from users, in which the data includes user data for each of the users and includes the first data and the second data, and the users include the first user and the second user; and 
 analyzing the user data for each of the users to determine one or more topics associated with the user data;
 in which the identification is based on the analysis. 
 
 
     
     
       31. A system comprising:
 a database storing first data available to a first user and not available to a second user, and storing second data available to the second user and not available to the first user 
 an analysis engine configured to:
 identify, in the first data and in the second data, data pertaining to a common topic; 
 determine, based on the identification, whether the first user and the second user communicate about the common topic; and 
 determine that the first user and the second user do not communicate about the common topic and do communicate about another topic different than the common topic; and 
 
 a communication engine to:
 send, based on the identification, a communication to the first user that a) indicates that particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic is accessible upon request and b) identifies the common topic; 
 receive, from the first user and in response to the communication, a request to access the particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic; and 
 enable the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic based on the identification and based on the determination that the first user and the second user do not communicate about the common topic. 
 
 
     
     
       32. The system of  claim 31  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises:
 sending a first communication to the first user that indicates that other users are interested in a common topic. 
 
     
     
       33. The system of  claim 31  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises:
 sending a first communication to the first user that identifies the common topic and indicates that other users are interested in the common topic. 
 
     
     
       34. The system of  claim 33  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises:
 sending a second communication to the second user that identifies the common topic and indicates that other users are interested in the common topic. 
 
     
     
       35. The system of  claim 33  in which the indication that other users are interested in the common topic comprises an identification of the second user. 
     
     
       36. The system of  claim 33  in which the communication engine receives, based on sending the first communication, a response from the first user that indicates that the first user would like to collaborate with the second user. 
     
     
       37. The system of  claim 36  in which the communication engine introduces the first user and the second user. 
     
     
       38. The system of  claim 37  in which introducing the first user and the second user is based on receiving the response from the first user. 
     
     
       39. The system of  claim 37  in which the communication engine sends the first communication to the second user and in which the first communication introduces the first user and the second user. 
     
     
       40. The system of  claim 31  in which the first data is not available to the second user based on a permission setting associated with the first data. 
     
     
       41. The system of  claim 40  in which the permission setting is established by the first user. 
     
     
       42. The system of  claim 31  in which the communication engine enables, based on the identification, the first user to make at least some of the first data available to the second user. 
     
     
       43. The system of  claim 31  in which the communication engine sends, based on the identification, a request to the first user to make at least some of the first data available to the second user. 
     
     
       44. The system of  claim 31  in which enabling the first user and the second user to communicate about the common topic comprises providing, based on receiving the request to access the particular data not available to the first user, the first user access to at least some of the particular data that was previously not available to the first user. 
     
     
       45. The system of  claim 31  in which:
 the database receives data from users, in which the data includes user data for each of the users and includes the first data and the second data, and the users include the first user and the second user; and 
 the analysis engine analyzes the user data for each of the users to determine one or more topics associated with the user data;
 in which the identification is based on the analysis. 
 
 
     
     
       46. The method of  claim 1  comprising enabling, in response to receipt of the request to access the particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic, the second user to make at least some of the particular data available to the first user. 
     
     
       47. The method of  claim 1  comprising sending, in response to receipt of the request to access the particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic, a request to the second user to make at least some of the particular data available to the first user. 
     
     
       48. The computer readable storage device of  claim 16  the operations comprising enabling, in response to receipt of the request to access the particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic, the second user to make at least some of the particular data available to the first user. 
     
     
       49. The computer readable storage device of  claim 16  the operations comprising sending, in response to receipt of the request to access the particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic, a request to the second user to make at least some of the particular data available to the first user. 
     
     
       50. The system of  claim 31  in which the communication engine enables, in response to receipt of the request to access the particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic, the second user to make at least some of the particular data available to the first user. 
     
     
       51. The system of  claim 31  in which the communication engine sends, in response to receipt of the request to access the particular data not available to the first user and pertaining to the common topic, a request to the second user to make at least some of the particular data available to the first user.